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Wetsuits off, shoes on and a momentary deep breath commences as each athlete, dripping water, emerges from their swim. Helmets on and shoes locked into place, shifting gears and mindsets completely redirected from the water as each athlete grabs their bike in stride.
Swimming, cycling and running converge into one event, testing mental and physical toughness.
Triathlons come in many forms, with a mixture of distances making up each race. A typical sprint triathlon consists of a 400-meter swim, an 11 to 12 mile bike ride and a 5k, with an Olympic triathlon doubling each distance, making the race a complex challenge for athletes.
The University of Texas Club Triathlon and Cycling team trains student-athletes to compete across the country, representing themselves and their university.
Competing in the USA Triathlon Midwest Collegiate Conference, they face club teams from schools in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
Being a part of the Texas Triathlon and Cycling team is not a typical commitment. The team trains every day, with the scheduled practices ranging from late afternoon swims at Gregory Gym to early morning cycling rides.
Many races, like Bevoman Triathlon — the club’s main fundraising race — are open so any athlete can register, making it a great introduction to the sport for first-time competitors, said senior French and psychology double major John Kangos, who serves as the Bevoman race director.
“You don’t need to be super athletically talented or have a lot of previous experience,” Kangos said. “There’s room to be really competitive and there’s also room to just have fun with it.”
This accepting yet competitive team environment allows Texas Triathlon and Cycling to recruit a wide array of athletes with vastly different backgrounds, which no one knows better than psychology junior Josey Gregg.
After leaving high school athletics, Gregg wanted to keep a traditional daily training schedule during her college experience and she found her answer with the Texas Triathlon and Cycling Team.
“Texas Triathlon and Cycling gave me the perfect outlet to continue pursuing sports and having a team dynamic that I knew I would miss from high school,” Gregg said.
Not only has she found a new home on the team, but it has given her a campus experience she did not expect as well as memories she will take wherever she goes next, Gregg said.
“The team has given me some of my best friends as well as offered me great leadership opportunities,” she said. “Many of my favorite memories come from the team, including road tripping 22 hours to California for nationals, and riding 100 miles with my teammates.”
Part of what makes the team culture so unique is the variety of skills athletes bring to the team when representing Texas, placing an added value on each and every member of the team, Kangos said.
“There are all kinds of people, all kinds of different skill levels out there,” Kangos said. “It’s just a lot of people enjoying themselves, having fun and trying to get the most out of life.”
Texas Triathlon and Cycling have various competitions throughout the year, with everything from road races to the Bevoman Triathlon, ultimately culminating in the USAT Collegiate Club Nationals. The team competed in the meet earlier this spring, putting together an impressive showing during the race in Miami, Florida.
“Triathlon at the end of the day is really about how much work you put into it,” Kangos said, “not how much talent you have.”